since this is an evidence thread... https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/jesus-tomb-archaeology-jerusalem-christianity-rome/ ... Over the centuries, Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre has suffered violent attacks, fires, and earthquakes. It was totally destroyed in 1009 and subsequently rebuilt, leading modern scholars to question whether it could possibly be the site identified as the burial place of Christ by a delegation sent from Rome some 17 centuries ago. Now the results of scientific tests provided to National Geographic appear to confirm that the remains of a limestone cave enshrined within the church are remnants of the tomb located by the ancient Romans. Mortar sampled from between the original limestone surface of the tomb and a marble slab that covers it has been dated to around A.D. 345. According to historical accounts, the tomb was discovered by the Romans and enshrined around 326. more at the link...
don't you all get tried of these guys taking one statement out of context. for instance around 2 minutes 30 seconds in... "take no thought for the morrow". is not what hitchens says it means. anyone who reads the bible and knows the message would take it far differently than hitchens. When we say peace be with you. Or the peace of jesus be with you. We are serious... there is a peace that comes over you when you really believe what jesus teaches. Jesus is telling us not to stress out. Trust in God. He knows you. He provides better than you can worry. No reason to be overcome by fear. To follow Jesus is to have peace. (at least times... not saying its easy.) That is the core of the message... not the crap hitchens pretends. 2. To the contrary... there is evidence there could have been a census back then. here is one source... http://crossexamined.org/really-census-time-caesar-augustus/
It could very possibly be a convenient mythical figure who never really existed and why ? 1. To teach the other Jews a peaceful way of life based on the previous teachings of John the Baptist etc. 2. To be a thorn in the side of the Roman occupation. A person the Romans looked for as a rebel but could not find because he never actually existed. 3. Once the message of Christianity was well known and had attracted a following this figure was said to be murdered by the Romans to squeeze the last bit of sympathy out of the myth. I think the Romans at the time would have written down the details of the trial had it actually taken place. The job was now done. So often the winners of a conflict take the philosophy of the vanquished. The Romans adopted Christianity as their own. Just as Nazi propaganda is alive and well today amongst Hitler's fans.
That is merely evidence of limestone caves, and mortar, and marble around 350 years after the time of supposed Bible Jesus. But then Myth pushers must grab at absolutely anything to call it evidence.
Peace be with you is a core message erudite and complete, devoid of any need to clutter it with superfluous fictional characters. Like the pointless addition of an extraneous street sign, confusing and unnecessary for something already fully obvious and abundantly clear .
Part of Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks( heptads). A heptad is seven and heptads is sevens of some sort. 77 is 'sevens' and 7x77 is 539.We know Cyrus gave his decree sometime between 539BC and 536BC (it was found at Ecbatana).And Daniel was written at least a century before Jesus' birth.
Christianity's main source is a sociopath - Paul. However, the pillar of the religion of philosophy - Socrates - is also a made up figure by the same man known for allegories, and specifically, for bringing us Atlantis - Plato. For extra credit have you ever noticed the similarities between the Buddha, Jesus and Socrates? Here is a hint. Life is temporal, the soul is eternal. Life is an illusion, etc.